Posted on 11/27/2003 5:31:37 PM PST by nickcarraway
I’m glad the Pilgrims came here to Indian country. Otherwise, I might never have known about the Hebrew Bible, or the Gospel narratives. Was it a fair exchange, the land for the Lord? The destruction of Indian people for the establishment of America?
I might never have known about Persia, or heard Artur Rubinstein play the piano. I would never have seen the paintings of Frederick Church, Kaspar Friedrich, nor the eyes of Diane Von Furstenberg.
But the Pilgrims came.
Yet I can’t ignore the outrageous tragedy of Indian history. I can’t accept the treachery, and murderous, steam-rolling aggressions of the “Christian” race as the will of God.
How then can an Indian believe in the Bible, much less trust the Europeans that brought it here?
My complaint is not to the Hebrew God, nor to the people who brought His name. My complaint is to the Indian spirits. I protest Indian religion, and all the spirits. Where were they in 1492, 1620, or 1835? When we needed guidance from the medicine men, wisdom from the chiefs, warnings from the spirits, assurance from the ancestors, where were they?
Could they not foresee the future? Were they not wise enough to unite us Indians against the coming hoards? Were they too weak to defend us from the invaders?
How shall we trust the spirits now?
I have always felt profoundly betrayed by Indian religion. Yes, I’m angry with the spirits. They failed us. They failed all Indian people. With profound grief, I deny them.
But my protest is only pragmatic. Comanche were known for pragmatism in the early days. The disposition still haunts me. We never believed in anything, in the early days. We did not have ceremonial “religion,” just like we didn’t have “politics.” We lived by deep intuition.
We were once known as the “agnostics” of the plains. To us, religion did not relate to riding the horse more skillfully, or shooting straighter. Religion was a waste of time.
It is not religion that now attracts me to the Hebrew God, nor is it the aggression of the people who brought the Bible here, who remain just as greedy today.
It is the character of the Creator that draws me. I have learned of Him through years of personal Bible study.
I said as much, on Thanksgiving Day in Hamden, Connecticut, back in 1981. I lived next to a loving Jewish family, and the father, Ralph always invited me to every holiday—except Christmas and Easter! At Thanksgiving, Ralph asked each member of the family around the table to offer a word about whatever he was most thankful for.
I remember saying, “I’m thankful for the knowledge of the true God.” I just left it at that.
I say the same thing today. I am overwhelmed by the creative power of God, by His superior ways, His grandeur, and His beauty.
I admire also the delicate compassion He shows any sincere person, however humble or desperate.
When the felon being executed next to Christ said, “Lord, Remember me when thou comest into Thy Kingdom,” the answer given was extraordinary.
“Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” Luke 23:43.
That word “paradise” appears only three times in the New Testament. The New Testament was written in Greek. The Greek word used for “heaven” is almost always ouranos, meaning the sky, or the abode of God. Why this one time did Jesus say paradeisos?
This word is from the old Persian paraidaeza, meaning a royal park, a terraced garden.
The man was apparently not Jewish. He was a foreigner, maybe even a Persian. But he was about to die, and there was no time for a doctrinal lesson in Hebrew eschatology, theology, or even Christology.
The answer he needed in his soul was given to him in the language he understood, in the imagery that meant something deepest to him.
“You’re there!” was all the Lord’s answer to him.
That’s what everyone wants to hear.
As an Indian, I hear my own answer too. I see a place where there are no fences, no roads, and no cars; a place without wires, metals, and poisons. I want to live without betrayal, without cruelty, and without politics.
Paradise? Elesian Fields? Abraham’s Bosom? Happy Hunting Ground?
I’d rather have a new earth. And that is the final promise of the Bible: new earth created by God. That sounds Indian enough for me. I’m thankful for that hope.
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Dr. David A. Yeagley teaches humanities at the College of Liberal Studies, University of Oklahoma. His opinions are independent. He holds degrees from Yale, Emory, Oberlin, University of Arizona and University of Hartford. He is a member of the Comanche Tribe, Lawton, OK. For more information on Dr. Yeagley's initiative to teach patriotism in the schools, click here. E-mail him at badeagle2000@yahoo.com. View his website at http://www.badeagle.com.
They had a lot of good qualities, and it's a shame what happened to them, not as a group, but as individuals. They were victims of circumstance, not mass ill-will, as some would have us believe.
An interesting perspective. One could think perhaps the sudden spread of the Ghost Dance religion at the end of things was a "Last Chance" for the spirits. Done correctly, the dance would cause the People to raise up; during which the Land would be remade (With no Europeans). The People would descend afterward to inherit the new, cleaned/sanctified Land.
There are so many religions and beliefs; Sadly, they cannot all be right.
I like the way a syndicated newspaper columnist put it years ago (he was a Comanche). He basically said that the Comanche were one of the greatest warrior nations of the Plains, and they had taken what they wanted from the other nations of Indians. The white man kicked their asses fair and square, and took what the Comanches had. The better warriors won, and he didn't have a problem with it.
Have spent thanksgivings with the entire village in the Hall; oh that fry bread. Typically, after elders speak, they line up for dinner. Then all guests (white people), then parents, then lastly kids. Sit down and talk to the 90 year olds about how it was in 1930's. Then you begin to understand what they mean when they tell you the biggest problems for natives is white man. But you know for the most part; alcohol, drugs, and dysfunction aside natives are very sharing people, unlike us greedy white people who want it all in a pile to call our own, success. You see in the end it is a clash of our cultures that is killing them; and they still show complete respect for white guests at thansgiving.
Then you will have to escape the human race.
Since you're an 'Indian history buff' I'm sure you're familiar with such early conflicts The Pequot War, 1637; King Philip's War, 1675-1676; King William's War 1689-1697; Queen Ann's War, 1702-1713; The Deerfield Massacre, 1704; Father Rasle's War, 1724-1726, etc. These wars resulted from various Indian tribes allying themselves with foreign governments and initiating attacks against American colonists. Did the Indians initiate their attacks and wage war against standing armies? No, they attacked, murdered and kidnapped-for-ransom farmers and their familes.
This article, like most of it's ilk is rose-colored, nativist revisionism which doesn't even tell half of the story, -most of all the Indians'.
Even after the arrival of Whites to this land, the Iroquois grew and prospered - recognized by whites of the period as a major power on the continent, equals with the English, Dutch, and French in terms of alliances, trade etc... Politically and Economiclly, the Iroquois were a power that had to be dealth with - IT could not be defeated, but only bargained with. They survived for quite some time that way - even today.
I don't see it as spirits having failed my people - We failed ourselves. Some of my people broke faith with the constitution that guided them, and that led to a split in our people - much like the split we see in American society today. The split was: Some of my ancestors sided with the British in teh American Revolution, and some sided with the Colonists. This split played a major role in the downfall of the Iroquois Confederacy. Though it survived, in the end, it was never again as powerful as it was.
I guess maybe I'm preaching, but I see this same split occuring in the United States, and maybe we can prevent it by looking back and not making the same mistake. If we today break faith with our Constitution, the results will be disastrous.
That's what I thought about today. I did not look back in anger at any tragedies that occured, but rather I looked back so that I might learn from what happened. Had we lived up to the responsibilities in our constitution, perhaps things would have been different - the Colonists asked us to remain neutral - some decided to be "loyal" to teh crown, and this split led to our only defeat. Had we remained neutral, who knows what might have been. It's too late now, but today we Americans, both Indian and non-Indian alike who love this land must make sure we never break faith with the Constitution that binds us. Together, we are strong - divided, we face destruction. Pretty simple.
I guess I should just shut up now, but I will leave you all with this:
You may break one arrow, but a bundle of 5 is too strong to break.
Ok. End preachy rant ;0)
Since you're an 'Indian history buff' I'm sure you're familiar with the fact that the Iroquoian tribes were NOT fighting against American Colonists. In all actuallity, they fought alongside the British against the French. But then, you knew that.
Secondly, I'd like to point out that your generalization about us not fighting standing armies, but targeting non-military is the biggest load of crap I've seen you spew yet - Some tribes did that, yes, but certainly not all. You are making a vicious generalization that is false.
My geat-grandmother, bless her, made sure that I never forgot not only where I came from, but who I am, and where I am going... I still havn't figured out everything she taught me, but I guess I'm still learning.
About the only thing I can't stand is the two extremes - either Indians were all good (The LEftist Position) or the Indians were all bad (The position of many on the Right). The truth is somewhere in the middle, just as it is with everyone else :0)
Anyway, It's cool that the Haudenosaunee were your favorites - they are my favorites too LOL
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